


Old-fashioned

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 22:24:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20347786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: Arthur bought a ring and now he doesn't know how to pop the big question





	Old-fashioned

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd

Arthur was nervous. He had been nervous all day long, ever since he bought the ring that seemed to weigh a ton in his pocket. It wasn't your usual engagement ring and a ring with a huge diamond would have looked ridiculous on Merlin anyway. They had just seen it when they had taken a stroll on a Sunday night, doing some window shopping and Merlin had said something along the lines of "If I was to wear jewelry at all, it had to be something like this." So he went and bought it and now waited for the perfect moment to ask Merlin. 

Why Merlin wanted to be with him eluded Arthur anyway. Merlin was caring and funny and really, really clever. He could have had anyone in the entire world, but had decided to be his boyfriend. Some days, Arthur pinched himself to see if it wasn't only a dream. Of course, it wasn't all rainbows and puppies, they had their little quarrels and sometimes they fought, but they always made up and the good thing was that Merlin couldn't hold grudges. 

Merlin had picked him out of the sea of admirers he wasn't even aware of and Arthur had to work hard to shoo those admirers away. It was about time that he made Merlin officially his, so nobody else could snatch him away. He fingered the ring in his pocket. How should he do it?

When he entered their place, he found Merlin in sweatpants and an old t-shirt on the couch, reading a book. An actual, old-fashioned book. The e-reader he once gave him as a Christmas present was sometimes just used as a bookmark; that was Merlin. 

"Hey." He went over and couldn't help pressing a kiss on Merlin's hair that looked suspiciously like he hadn't even combed it that day. "Reading something interesting?"

Merlin looked up and his smile was blinding. "Oh, hi! Yes, it's about..." 

A lenghty explanation about the usage of herbs and spices in the context of healing concoctions followed that Arthur didn't really understand. He just knew that Merlin could brew magical things that had cured everything from stomach aches to the flu, so he just smiled. 

"How was your day?" Merlin stopped his excited flow of information. 

Arthur shrugged. "Nothing out of the ordinary." Which was a big fat lie. The ring burned in his pocket and he still had no idea how to ask Merlin the big question. Should he just get down on one knee here, in front of the couch? Should he try to coax Merlin to the patio where they could have a cocktail first? Merlin surely would suspect something if he did that, wouldn't he? Should he take Merlin away for the weekend? To some romantic destination? No, that wouldn't work. Merlin had an important meeting on Saturday afternoon. 

Merlin scrambled up and put the book on the coffee table. "Want something to drink? I'm going to get myself a fresh cup of tea."

Nodding, Arthur looked after him. He didn't want a tea, he wanted to make Merlin his. When his brain didn't come up with any more ideas and scenarios, his eyes fell on the open book in front of him. The old-fashioned letters on the top of the page read 'Eternal love - how to make him yours forever'. For a moment, Arthur feared that Merlin was looking for a receipe for a concoction that would make him fall in love with him; not that he needed to do that, he already was. He scanned a few sentences and it was all very outdated advice on always dressing up and looking nice for him and keeping the house clean and knowing how to cook and having the kids stay out of his hair. Then, he had an idea. Chuckling, he leaned back. 

"What's so funny?" Merlin came back with two mugs and handed one of them to Arthur. 

"Your book."

"It's not funny, it's how they saw it in the 50s and 60s..." Merlin set his mug down next to the book and was about to pick it up.

Arthur saw the exact moment Merlin spotted the ring that he had just put on the book. His heart was beating so fast that he feared it would jump out of his chest. 

"Arthur?" Merlin looked at him, wonder in his eyes. 

Swallowing hard, Arthur looked at him expectantly. Merlin wouldn't make him say it, would he? He knew he was bad with words. When the silence spread, Arthur started to fidget. "Would you...I mean...we could do it like in the 50s and 60s and...it doesn't have to be a huge wedding....we could just..." He had no idea what they could just do, he hadn't thought that far ahead. 

Merlin looked at the ring again and a huge smile spread on his face. When he looked back at him, there was a sparkle in his eyes. "I would." He motioned towards the ring. "Put it on me already."

Arthur gladly did.


End file.
